4 Ways to Enable or Disable Microsoft Store on Windows 11 or 10

Here are some possible reasons why you need to disable the Microsoft Store:

• Stop unwanted notifications.
• Saving data by limiting the background processes of the Microsoft Store
• For increased security or privacy
• Resolves some issues related to the Store or the apps it installs.
• Restrict children, family members or other users from downloading the application without permission.

Steps to disable or enable the Windows Store

Before following this tutorial, disabling the Microsoft Store will also stop the installation of any apps that require its services. To use the store, users need to enable its service in the same way as blocking it.

1. Block Windows Store background service

Let’s start with a simple method to restrict Microsoft Store from running as a background service. This saves necessary data and RAM usage on your system and prevents you from receiving necessary notifications.

1. Go to the Windows 10 or 11 search bar or click the Start button.
2. Search Settings and when the gear icon appears, click the same icon to open it.
3. Click on the application option given on the left. Now, from the other right-hand options, select "Installed Applications".
4. Search the Mircosoft store by scrolling down or using the search box given at the top.
5. When you find Store as an installed app, click on the three horizontal dots in front of it.
6. Select "Advanced Options" from the pop-up menu.
7. Scroll down to "Background App Permissions".
8. Click the drop-down menu under the text "Keep this app running in the background".
9. Select the Never option. This will prevent the Windows Store service from running in the background.

Open Windows installed applications

Microsoft Store Advanced Options

Turn off background app permissions

While the store's services are set to run in optimized mode by default, select "Never" if you want to disable it. And in the future, to get it running in the background again, you can do it from the same location and options.

2. Disable Microsoft Store using Local Security Policy

Those who want to completely disable the Windows Store feature can use the operating system's Local Security Policy feature. Here are the steps you can use to enable or disable Microsoft Store apps.

1. Click the Windows Search or Start menu button and type Local Security Policy to open it.

2. Alternatively, you can use the Run box command, press Win R, then type –secpol.msc and press "Confirm button.

Open the login security policy

After that, find the "
4. Software Restriction Policy" folder and Right click on it.

Select "
5. New Software Restriction Policies" to create a new one.

Create a new software restriction policy

Under the
6. Object Type on the right, you will see to a folder icon with "Additional Rules" text. Right-click on it and select "New Path Rule...".

Define new path rules

To
7. disable Microsoft Store, type Store app in Path The installation path of the program on Windows 10 or 11. We have provided it here for your convenience. Just copy and paste.

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore*

Select level-
8. Disallowed and click the Apply button.

Disable Windows Store from running

Now when anyone on the system tries to open the Microsoft Store, it will say: "

This app has been blocked by your system administrator. " In the future, if you want to enable the Microsoft Store again, please follow the same steps and instead of "Banned", select Unrestricted options and apply changes.

This application has been blocked.

3. Enable or disable Store Apps by editing Group Policy

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a graphical user interface on Windows operating systems that provides a single interface to edit and manage local group policies. Here we will use it to deactivate or activate Microsoft Store features.

Open the Local Group Policy Editor; to do this, go to the Windows Start menu and type "Edit Group Policy".
1. Alternatively, we can use the RUN command by pressing Win R; and type gpedit in it. msc and click the OK button.

From the left, under Local Computer Policy -> select
2. Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Store.

Edit Group Policy to turn off Windows Store apps

You will see "
3. Turn off Store apps on the right Program"; Double-click on it, select Disabled, click Apply, and then click the Ok button.

In the future, if you want to enable Windows Store again on your system, then open the same
4. Settings on Win 11 or 10 and select the "Enable" option.

4. Use the Regedit method to prevent Microsoft Store from opening

This method uses the Registry Editor in Windows 11 or 10 to enable or disable the Microsoft Store app.

Okay, while the method given before is sufficient, here is another one that can be used:

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor by clicking the Windows Start button and typing its name.

2. Run the editor with administrative rights and click Yes when asked.

##Click
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and select SOFTWARE. After that, click on Policies, find Microsoft, and right-click on it.

Select
4. New Key and name it WindowsStore.

When finished, select
5. the key you created and right-click it again to select New- > Dword (32 bits) value.

Name it
6. RemoveWindowsStore, thendouble-click the created Dword and set its value to 1. This will prevent the Microsoft Store from opening on Windows 10/11 platforms. Later, to enable access to the store application again, change the value from 1 to 0 or delete the DWORD key you created.

Don't forget to
7. restart the system to apply the changes.

Use the Registry Editor to disable the Microsoft App Store

FAQ

How to disable the Microsoft App Store without opening the Microsoft Store download?

Using Winget package manager, we can download apps available in Microsoft Store without opening them. It is a command line utility available on Windows 10 or 11 systems. It allows installation of various applications using a single command.

Is Microsoft Store the same as Google Play?

Google Play and Microsoft Store are almost similar as they both provide an easy way to install apps. However, the Play Store is owned by Google and supports Android apps, while the Microsoft Store is only available for Windows platforms.

Why are there no Google apps in the Microsoft Store?

The Google App is available in the Microsoft Store because it is designed to host APKs for the Android platform, while Windows is not an Android operating system.

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